Unusual And Instructive Chess Tactic

I came across this unusual tactic whilst working through VISUALWIZE exercises and I thought it’s worth sharing!

In the position below it is white to move. Can you spot the tactic?

White to move. What would you do?

Scroll down to see the solution.

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Solution

1.Ra8! Rxa8 2.Bxd5+ followed by Bxa8.

Now let me ask you: How long did it take before you considered the move Ra8 in this position? Did you even consider it at all? I ask this because if you followed the 5-step calculation method (as presented on Day 1 of the 10-Day Chess Challenge), then you would have known pretty soon that 1.Ra8 should be calculated (since it creates a threat – Rxa6).

This example proves again how important it is to work on your calculation skill and study tactics if you want to become a strong chess player. It is almost impossible to find such tactics in your own games if you have not seen and trained these tactical motifs beforehand.